Daily News

Posted on Aug. 28: Residence life staff soften first-year transition

In September 2001,University was initially overwhelming for the first-year student who came from small-town Ontario. David Kennedy could sense that. "She was terrified," said the residence life community advisor (CA). "I knew she was feeling lonely and I kept talking to her and asking her how everything was going." Finally, on her third day in residence, she broke down. She talked to Kennedy about how she missed home and how university was overwhelming. While reassuring and counseling her, Kennedy recalled the training sessions he underwent to prepare for such situations. The fourth-year honours economics student is in training again this week, to learn how to be an effective CA. He and more than 100 other CA's and residence program assistants (RPA's) are involved in a two-week training session to prepare for the first-year students they will mentor and advise in McMaster's 10 residences throughout the school year ahead. "The CA's and RPA's have a really significant impact on students' experiences and that is why we have such an intensive training," says Danielle Stayzer, residence life co-ordinator "They are role models and first-year students really look up to them." Students are also getting younger, and issues that CA's and RPA's deal with are changing, Stayzer adds. "Students have been getting younger over the last couple of years so we have been refining our training to meet the changing needs," she says. "We train staff on getting to know each individual on the floor and finding out what the specific needs are of each student. If they find out a large number of the students on their floor are younger they will plan activities to best accommodate them." Residence life staff are expected to organize non-alcoholic activities, something that students seem to be getting used to. "There is an increased focus on academics for students," Stayzer says. "I think it's because university has become more competitive."

Posted on Aug. 27: 9/11 art show fosters respect’

McMaster's Anti-Violence Network (AVN) hopes a visual art show will help people express their feelings one year after Sept. 11. "Art, being a universal medium, was chosen as a means to allow people to express their feelings, in this case around issues of religious and racial difference, and how lack of respect impacts on these differences," says Pat Young, administrative co-ordinator in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies and a member of the AVN. McMaster's diversity is reflected in the artwork by McMaster students, faculty and staff, says Young. "Encouraging, or fostering, respect for one another, despite our many differences, is a good way to eliminate many of the tensions that arise between people of many diverse beliefs and races. Our hope is that the diversity of our campus will be reflected in the artwork collected." The art show is connected to a Sept. 14 conference sponsored by AVN, entitled "One Year After September 11th--What Have We Learned?" The day-long conference, in the McMaster University Student Centre, will feature guest speakers and a panel discussion. The art show arose from discussions after the events of Sept. 11, says Young. "We were made aware of concerns in various ethnic communities following violence in the community at large, and members of various ethnic groups on campus also expressed concerns about their safety." This led to an event last spring entitled "Fostering Respect". The event brought together representatives from various religious faiths to speak on misconceptions about their beliefs. "We believe that education is one positive step that we can offer to expose misconceptions and to increase respect for religious traditions," Young says. AVN has put out a call for entries for the juried art exhibition. Entries must be original works of art created by the artist and must be available for purchase. The exhibition is open to all two- and three-dimensional works of art, except electronic video performances. There is a limit of one entry per person. Judging will take place the first week of September and the selected works will be on display from Sept. 13 to 15 in the New Space, Togo Salmon Hall, Room 114. Entries must be submitted by Aug. 28. in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, TSH 726 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The reception and award presentation for the exhibition takes place Sept. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. in TSH 114. For more information contact Pat Young at youngpm@mcmaster.ca or ext. 23112.

Posted on Aug. 27: Minister urges McMaster medical students to stay in Ontario

Provincial Health Minister Tony Clement appealed to first-year medical students at McMaster University yesterday to stay and practise in Ontario. Clement told the 140 students attending their first day of orientation that making Ontario more attractive to health professionals is his top priority. His plea comes at a time when North America-wide shortages have left doctor recruitment and retention more competitive than ever. McMaster increased enrolment by 40 per cent this year under the Health Ministry's strategy to fight the growing doctor shortage. (The Globe and Mail, Aug. 27, 2002)

Posted on Aug. 26: McMaster refines strategic plan

The University is about to embark on the next step of its strategic planning process. Over recent years the institution has established strong planning principles to meet the challenges the University has faced including the current double cohort issue. Commencing this fall, McMaster will start to plan for the years and requirements that follow the double cohort. The initiative will be called "Refining Directions" and will allow the University to prepare effectively for the future. "The process will enable McMaster to refine its goals and objectives in order to meet the challenges that lie ahead and it will also provide performance indicators as measures of our progress," says University President Peter George. In the mid-nineties, the McMaster community developed and implemented the original "Directions" documents to establish and communicate the institution's vision and mission and planning principles to achieve defined goals and objectives. Since then, "Directions" has undergone two additional refinements. The documents have helped to guide the University through many challenges. These include the development of new and highly successful academic programs, the expansion of research and research partnerships, and recent fundraising initiatives. A steering committee led by University provost Ken Norrie will guide the next planning process and will work closely with six working groups: research and graduate education, undergraduate education, external activities, internal community, planning/managing and branding. The collective efforts of the working groups will involve consultations with numerous audiences followed by the development of the refined plan. It is anticipated that the plan will be presented to Senate and the Board of Governors by the spring of 2003. A letter from the President containing further details on this important initiative is currently being distributed to the University community including Faculty, staff, Board of Governors, Senate and the Alumni Association Board. Communications will continue as the steering committee progresses with the project throughout the months ahead.

Posted on Aug. 23: Program opens doors for the homeless

Sixteen-year-old Aaron has not lived with his parents for three years. Now, nearly 17, he has stayed at group homes, foster homes, shelters or friends' apartments. The longest he stayed in one place was six months, and that was in rehab. On March 19, he began participating in M.A.C. Door, an innovative program that helps homeless youth leave the streets. M.A.C. (Making a Change) Door grew out of the McMaster Student Outreach Clinic (MacSOC). During the winter of 2000, the MacSOC organization of more than 120 volunteers students and faculty mainly from nursing but also medicine, midwifery and occupational therapy and physiotherapy visited three areas in downtown Hamilton on Wednesday nights delivering clothing and food to homeless people. Dyanne Semogas, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, was one of those volunteers. Along with several people who worked with MacSOC, Semogas became interested in working with street youth. Two years later, she is the clinical director of the M.A.C. Door project. This program has two parallel, but separate, components: intervention and research.